I have a very minor coolant leak which I can't put my finger on. It seems to leave a small puddle anywhere from an inch or two to 9 or 10 inches in diameter under the front of the car. I peeked under the car and see a bit of coolant on the bottom of the radiator, but there is a catch to all this: it seems that the colder it is, the larger the puddle it will leave, however sometimes there won't be anything there at all and it will rarely leak at all if the engine is real warm when I turn it off. The coolant level is in an acceptable range and I've only added coolant once in the beginning of Feb (about 1/2 a quart). The guy who rents the little apartment in my house is a mechanic (not a Volvo guy though) and said that if it was his car, he wouldn't worry about it, that it sounds like when it gets real cold out, that the cooling system may "back up" a little if the engine isn't fully warmed up when I shut it down - like if I make a trip to the grocery store or something like that. This is my 2nd full winter with this car and it didn't do this last year, all-be-it this winter is MUCH colder than it was last year.

Before I go through the expense of changing out the radiator, are there any thoughts?

 

Which side of the radiator is leaking? If its the drivers side, i would check the hose going to the bottom of the radiator , and if its the passenger side, i would check the hose going to the top of the radiator.

 

Radiator original?

 

Huzzsaba: it's on the passenger side & I did check the hose. I didn't see anything wet on the top.

Tech: No idea, but if I had to guess, I would say it is. Before you ask, it now has about 231k on it.

 

I can't remember if the radiator drain petcock is on the drivers or the passenger side, but you might want to give that a quick check as well. Also, just for grins, check to see if any of the hose clamps are loose. What condition are the hoses in?

I would say your best bet might be to put the car on ramps, start it and look for any leaks when the system is pressurized. I doubt if the problem is the coolant overflow bottle, but it cannot hurt to check those hoses and connections as well.

Good luck

 

Try to find a pressure tester to borrow and pressure test and see where it is leaking from.You will need a special adapter to hook it to the bottle.
The 850 radiators are known to leak at the tank seam.

 

Hello Dads850,

As tech has noted, it is probably from the radiator. However, check on the hose connections as well. I found that it is best to leave the car at idle to find the leak, in case if you didn't have access to pressure tester. Also, make sure to have pre-mix coolant in the trunk and add it up to between MAX & MIN in the reservoir when the engine is cold.

Good luck,


JPN